Politics crashes Brash's party

The Labour Party abandoned days-long caucus retreats in far-flung resorts some way from Wellington in the mid-90s.

It decided the excursions were more trouble than they were worth.

A bunch of captive journalists camped outside conference centre doors for three days with nothing to engage them but passing MPs almost inevitably leads to at least one of them putting a foot wrong.

In such circumstances, any such mistake is intensely examined.

The party now holds its retreats in the capital, where the press gallery is on home turf and can turn to other distractions should the noises coming out of caucus prove unworthy of much attention.

The events are usually limited to a day or a day and a half to similarly contain scrutiny - and avoid images of MPs engaging in team-building recreational pursuits, such as fishing in Lake Taupo, beaming into taxpayers' living rooms, in case they consider it a little on the nose.

Seeing National finance spokesman John Key come a cropper before he'd even checked into the Wairakei Resort on Tuesday for National's three-day retreat there left Labour feeling somewhat smug.

It certainly left Mr Key looking visibly chastened.

Just when the stories over the leadership speculation appeared to have run their course, he gave the issue fresh legs.

Particularly galling for him was that he fell right into the trap set by an unnamed senior MP who had accused him on the weekend of fuelling speculation of a leadership change through the media.

It was a risky strategy and could have backfired.

Mr Key, provoked, appeared to threaten to expose his detractor by telling the media he knew who it was on Tuesday.

But it only served to reinforce the perception that those wanting to cut the ambitious MP down to size were promoting - that he was, in fact, keeping the story going. The result was that it left him and not the senior MP in the dogbox.

Labour then, weren't the only ones feeling a little smug about Mr Key's outburst, despite the negative focus on infighting his reaction generated.

It not only displayed Mr Key's political naivety, but gave Dr Brash an opportunity to stamp his authority on the caucus.

He seized it, displaying an increasing ability to think swiftly on his feet - sometimes lacking in the past - and providing the catharsis needed to bury the internal friction before the House resumes for the year.

Mr Key's immediate contrition helped.

Of interest now will be how fast the new National golden boy, tarnished for the first time, learns from the experience.

He has been consistently eager to assist the media with all its questions and has until now had a dream run.

The ever-courteous Dr Brash took a similar approach, sometimes allowing his agenda to be completely derailed.

Some commentators wondered whether he had the political acumen to avert such scenarios.

But Dr Brash has begun the year well on that front.

He faces further challenges to his political management skills as the caucus begins to review its policy programme.

His desire to shed the controversial anti-nuclear legislation policy is well-conceived.

But some MPs were annoyed the "discussion" was presented as if it were a fait accompli.

New MPs - who fiercely defended the nuclear policy through the election campaign - in particular expressed surprise to learn about the likely u-turn.

There was also sniping about the leader's stance on the cartoon debate.

Like the John Key affair, the policy debates at the retreat will have served as sobering lesson on the transitory nature of political "realities".

As it seeks to present itself as the alternative Government, there will be other policy challenges.

Can National really afford, for example, to run a tough law and order line opposing - probably necessarily - the Government's plans to reduce the prison population, if it is to become the next Government?

This was another issue on this week's programme.

National is relaxed in the sense it has ample time to prepare its new offensive.

But if it doesn't intend to follow Labour's risk-averse lead on retreats, its independently minded MPs might like to take a leaf out of the Labour book when it comes to caucus unity.